Fremantle assault figures sobering

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A report from the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth and the National Drug Research Institute ranked Fremantle second for alcohol-related serious assaults, with 548 recorded between 2010 and 2013. Only Perth recorded higher with 1709.

McCusker Centre executive officer Julia Stafford said it was an issue that needed to be looked at in this election.

“For political parties keen to reduce the pressure on hospitals, ambulances and police resources, a commitment to evidence-based policies to prevent and reduce harm from alcohol would go a long way to achieving this,” she said.

The report also showed Fremantle ranked highly in the number of alcohol-related emergency department visits, with 2267 recorded between 2009 and 2013, while 649 local deaths were attributed to alcohol between 2010 and 2012.